Local people happy to get a glimpse of President Obama's airplane and motorcade - Gate House

By Elaine Thompson TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

June 11. 2014 11:38PM

Local people happy to get a glimpse of President Obama's airplane and motorcade

PHOTO/ T&G Staff/STEVE LANAVA

President Obama honors the flag during the Pledge of Allegiance along with Worcester Technical High School Valedictorian Naomi Desilets and Class President Reginald Sarpong.

WORCESTER —Thirteen-year-old Mike Letendre and his younger sister Nadia, both students at Abby Kelley Foster Middle School, were front and center outside Worcester Airport Wednesday, hoping to get a glimpse of President Barack Obama's Air Force One fly-in, if not the commander-in-chief himself.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me," said Mike, a seventh-grader and airplane enthusiast who is learning to fly at Worcester Regional Flight Academy. "Here in the city of Worcester, you don't see a president that often. This is amazing."

Nadia, who is the fifth grade at the charter school, said she was hoping to see Mr. Obama because her first-grade class wrote a letter to him and he wrote back.

"We knew the president was coming today, so I wanted to be here," she said.

The siblings, who came to the airport with their mother Fanny Letendre, were among about 40 spectators who stood at the top of the stairs leading from the lower parking lot to the terminal. Most had cameras.

Scores of state police and Secret Service agents dressed in black suits and black sunglasses were seen in the parking lot, inside the terminal and in the back where the president's plane landed. On the roof of both ends of the terminal several state troopers dressed in camouflage and Secret Service agents used binoculars to watch the sky for the plane. Police cruisers were also strategically situated in the distance on the hills behind the terminal.

Margaret and Grace Njenga, natives of Kenya, left the group of spectators outside and walked inside the airport, thinking that they might see Mr. Obama, whose father was born in the east African country.

"We just wanted to see him. We love him," said Margaret, who was accompanied by her 3-year-old grandson, Tyler. "We like all the things he's doing for the country, although a lot of people don't seem to appreciate him."

Grace said if they had been able to speak to Mr. Obama, they would have asked him to try to do more to advance immigration reform. They said they have both become citizens.

"We would like to see the ones here to be given green cards or a chance to become citizens. We want people to get the fruits we get here," said Grace.

Several businesses along Pleasant, Chandler and Highland streets had messages on their marquees welcoming the president.

Peter A. Strathoulopoulos, a dentist who along with his parents owns Grille 57 at 57 Highland Street, went so far as to go on the Internet to find out the president's favorite meal and have his chef prepare the dish, salmon and rice with ginger.

"Our chef did an unbelievable version. We're keeping it on the menu on weekends for the summer. It's so light," he said.

Mr. Strathoulopoulos said he started advertising the dish and the restaurant as a place to watch the president's motorcade on Facebook Tuesday night. He said when he arrived at noon Wednesday the street was empty. An hour later a couple of police cruisers came by with police dogs that sniffed some cars along Wachussett Street near Grille 57 before heading down Highland, he said.

By 2 p.m. people were lined along both sides of Highland Street, which was closed to motorists most of the day. People parked on side streets and walked to Grille 57 to dine and watch the fast-moving caravan that consisted of about a dozen vehicles.

"It was impressive having our president come to Worcester and put our city on the national landscape," said Mr. Strathoulopoulos as he and others inside the restaurant watched the president on a big-screen TV give the commencement speech to Worcester Technical High School graduates at the DCU Center.

George Tonevski and his daughter and her family stood outside the Boynton Restaurant at 117 Highland Street for the big event.

He said his 4-year-old granddaughter saluted the president as the black limousines sped by.

"It was perfect. It was a special day for us," he said.

John Coutu, manager at the Boynton restaurant, said the street closing did affect business. But several dozen people who attended the graduation had made reservations for later in the day.

"It did slow down the business a bit because people couldn't cross Highland," he said. "But it looks like we'll make it up. We're expecting a decent crowd after the graduation at the DCU finishes."

Contact Elaine Thompson at ethompson@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @EThompsonTG